How To Use HTRI For Shell & Tube Exchanger Design

Frank Shan

May 18, 2005

 Contents

What Can HTRI Do

General Procedures

Example: Liquid-Liquid Exchanger Design

Result Evaluation
What Can HTRI Do? HTRI - Heat Transfer Research Inc.

Hairpin
Air Cooler Fire Heater Exchange S&T Exchanger
r

HTRI Xchanger Suite

Jacket Pipe Plate-Frame Tube Layout Vibration

Exchanger Exchanger Analysis
General Procedure Data Sheet

Case Mode
Rating, Simulation, Design

Process Inlet/Outlet
Shell & Tube Geometry Fluid (Cold/Hot) Properties Other Input

Result Analysis

End
Example:

Liquid-Liquid S&T
Exchanger

Standard Data Sheet

1. Create an empty case: select File > New Shell and Tube Exchanger
1.1 Xist Main Window
Click for help

Required
Input is
highlighted
in red

Navigation Tree
Click + to expand
2. Setting Unit: select Edit > Data Units, or click button
3. Select Case Mode

Rating (Default)

You define exchanger geometry and enough process

conditions for Xist to calculate the required heat duty.

Simulation
You define exchanger geometry and fewer process
conditions for Xist to calculate the required heat duty.

Design

You define most exchanger geometry and enough

process conditions for Xist to calculate the required
heat duty.
4. Input Shell Side Geometry

HTRI allows shell diameter up to 1000 in

Shell and Tube
Exchanger
Selection

Shell Selection
depends on
available ∆P, the
E-type is the least
expensive shell.

(Courtesy of TEMA)
Shell and Tube
Exchanger
Selection

(Courtesy of GPSA)
5. Input Tube Side Geometry
 Tube Geometry

Tube Dia.: 3/4 ~ 1 in are more compact and more economical.

1 inch tube are normally used when fouling is

expected, or low ∆P is required.

Tube Length: In general, the greater the ratio of tube length to

shell diameter, the more economical the exchanger.
Practically, 16 ft or 20 ft facilitate reasonable plot
space and maintenance for horizontal exchanger.

Tube Pitch Ratio: 1.25, 1.333 are most common

For kettle reboiler operating at low pressure,
1.5 pitch ratio has been proved effective
Tube layout

A 30-degree layout (default) is most common. Triangular

tube-layouts result in better shellside coefficients and
provide more surface area in a given shell diameter,
whereas square pitch or rotated-square pitch layout are
used when mechanical cleaning of tube outside is required
6. Input Baffles Geometry
Baffle Type

Cut range: 1 – 49% Cut range: 5 – 30%

For TEMA E Shell,

No.Crosspass = No.Baffle+1

Double-segmental Baffle

Cut range: 5 – 30%

Baffle cut (100*h/D): 17% to 35% of shell diameter
A 22% cut is the optimum (HTRI)

Baffle spacing: 20% to 100% of shell diameter

(HTRI recommends 40% of shell dia. as start point)
7. Input Shellside Nozzle Location
8. Input Optional Data

DT: only for printout

DP: to calculate tubesheet
thickness & bundle-to-shell
clearance for pull-through
floating head bundle
9. Input Process Data
10. Input Hot Fluid Properties. 10.1 Select Physical Property Input Method

The component-by-component option is recommended

for single-phase-only fluids for which the variation in fluid
properties is not large.
10.2 Use User Define Properties
10.3 Input Liquid Properties
11. Input Cold Fluid Properties. (Same Procedure as Hot Fluid)
Alternate Input Methods
(Process condition & properties)

Import Case: (need simulator installed)

File>Import Case>change file type

>select simulation file>select exchanger>
generate properties

Property Generator...

Hot/Cold Fluid Properties>Property Generator>select Property package – HYSYS

>simulation file>select exchanger>select fluid>generate properties

HTRIFileGen - developed by Hyprotech to transfer data from simulation

HYSYS extension – allow you to develop and run the process simulator while using
the HTRI proprietary methods.
12. Run Case

Click
or
File>Run Case
or
Ctrl+F5

Indicate
incomplete input
Result Drawing
13. Analyze Final Results

Consider the following, and think of the possibility of a better

design.

Program message Overdesign factor

Main design dimensions ∆P

Velocities Heat transfer coefficients

Distribution of thermal Flow regime distribution

resistances
Terminal process Baffle design
conditions
EMTD and temp profile Vibration analysis
13.1 Program Messages

Fatal: Problems lead to incorrect results

Warning: Unusual, limiting need your attention
Informative: Unusual data
13.2 Velocity:
High enough to suppress fouling
Low enough to prevent erosion

higher velocity gives better heat transfer and suppresses fouling,

thus provides a longer run length. But too high a velocity will
cause tube erosion, and/or vibration.

For heavy oil services, consider 4 feet per second on the

tubeside as the “design” number. Faster is better until you
reach 10-12 fps for water or (density) x velocity^2 of 10,000 to
12,000 (English units).
Shellside velocities are more difficult but anything less than 3
fps will definitely foul when in heavy oil service.

(Advised by Tom Kemp)

13.3 Thermal Resistances

Check thermal resistances for shellside, tubeside, fouling, and tube metal.
Check dominant value.
Shellside Heat Transfer Limited

Action Result Watch For

Change shell type Increase shellside velocity, Design requirement
(F,G) MDMT, and heat transfer
coefficient
Reduce tube pitch Increase shellside velocity Bypassing and
leaking
Decrease tube dia. Slight increase in heat Tubeside ∆P
transfer coefficient increase
Consider finned Smaller exchanger
tubes
Use sealing strips Reduce E stream with
decreased baffle-to-shell
clearance
 Tubeside Heat Transfer Limited

Action Result Watch For

Change tube length Improve tubeside

performance
Decrease tube dia. Increase tubeside h, velocity Increased tubeside
at given shell size ∆P
Switch tube/shell More efficient design
side
Increase tube pitch Increase tubeside velocity at
given shell size because of
fewer tubes

13.4 Overdesign Factor

Overdesign = (Qcalc – Qreq’d) / Qreq’d x 100
= (Ucalc – Ureq’d) / Ureq’d x 100
13.5 Shellside Flow Distribution

B stream: normally at least 60% of total flow for turbulent flow and
40% for laminar flow
C and F stream: Normally should not exceed 10%
13.6 Pressure Drop
It is highly undesirable if the exchanger is limited by ∆P, exchangers are larger than
necessary to accommodate allowable ∆P rather than to satisfy heat transfer demands.
For critical exchangers (condenser, reboiler), try to meet the required ∆P.
For heavy streams, “no fouling” is the first concern over ∆P.

Shellside ∆P Limited
Action Result Watch For
Change shell type ∆P reduced greatly (TEMA E
to J decrease by up to
factor of 8)
Investigate multi- Double-segmental baffle ∆P Tube vibration is
segmental bundles reduced to about 1/3 of that possible
for segmental baffle with
same central spacing
Investigate NTIW ∆P reduced to 1/4 if window Extreme caution:
bundles area large enough inefficient heat
transfer may result
Increase baffle cut ∆P reduced by large cut

Increase nozzle sizes ∆P reduced

 Tubeside ∆P Limited
Action Result Watch For

Increase tube dia. ∆P reduced sharply,

∆P~f(d^5)

Decrease tube pitch Larger tubeside flow area

(more tubes fit into shell)
Check single- ∆P is 1/8 of that of 2-
tubepass design tubepass design
Decrease tube ∆P reduced sharply Reduces heat transfer
length surface and shellside
flow area.
Increase nozzle ∆P reduced
sizes
14. Finishing

Re-adjust the parameters if necessary

Re-run the case

Not satisfied
Evaluation

Satisfied

Finish
Thanks !